This morning we toured colonial Trinidad (pop: 60,000). This is a perfect relic of the early days of the Spanish colony: beautifully preserved streets and buildings and hardly a trace of the 20th century anywhere. It was founded in 1514 by Diego Velazquez as a base for expeditions into the New World and Hernan Cortés, conquistador of the Aztecs, set out from here for Mexico in 1518. The five main squares and four churches date from the 18th and 19th centuries and the whole city, with its fine palaces, cobbled streets and tiled roofs, is a national monument and since 1988 has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In 1797 there were 56 sugar mills and 12 000 slaves imported to work in the sugar cane fields. We stopped with our guide, Yuri, at a viewpoint overlooking a sugar plantation outside of town With the Industrial Revolution and the increase in sugar grown in Europe, Trinidad went into decline in the second half of the 19th century.

On the Plaza Mayor is the cathedral, Iglesia Parroquial de la Santisima Trinidad, built between 1817 and 1892 and now being restored. It is the largest church in Cuba and is renowned for its acoustics. On the left of the altar is a crucifix of the brown-skinned Christ of Veracruz, who is the patron of Trinidad.

A highlight of the tour was a more in-depth introduction to Santeria. Santeria's origins date back to the slave trade when Yoruba natives were forcibly transported from Africa to the Caribbean. They were typically baptized by the Roman Catholic church upon arrival, and their native practices were suppressed. They developed a novel way of keeping their old beliefs alive by equating each Orisha of their traditional religions with a corresponding Christian Saint. It was actively suppressed in Cuba following the communist revolution - particularly during the 1960's, however, oppression has now largely ended, and the popularity and practice of Santeria has exploded in Cuba since the 1990's. Before leaving town we visited another museum of the revolution. This one containing the remains of an American U2 spy plane shot down over Cuba.

The afternoon was spent experiencing the beach at our Brisas del Mar inclusive resort. Many foreigners spend weeks at a time enjoying the many activities. For me, our allotted time was enough.

Some like it wet.

Index — Cuba - As It Was in 2003